


Opening Act

by arukitty



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bands, Eventual EreRi, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Heartbreak, I don't know what I'm doing here, M/M, Past Relationships, band au, celebrity, music labels, the band au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-11 07:27:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3319079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arukitty/pseuds/arukitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six years after their band broke up along with their relationship, Levi and Eren are forced to see each other again when they end up on the same music label.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“What the fuck...” Eren half mumbled, half groaned as he groped in the darkness for his vibrating phone. It had been going off for the past few minutes and it was driving him insane. He rolled over on the tiny cot that was a shit excuse for a bed and brought the glowing screen to his face. He had missed 7 text messages and 3 alerts. His eyes scanned the notification title a few times before the words finally made sense.

Suddenly he was _very_ awake and sat straight up in his bed, but not without slamming his head on the bottom of the bunk above him. “Shit!” He rubbed his head on the spot that would surely hurt worse in a few minutes, but otherwise ignored it as his heart was beating too rapidly in his chest.

Eren had unlocked his phone and ignored the texts and headed straight to his alerts. One drunken night a few years ago he had populated the search for the stupid bastard who broke his heart so that every time an article, stupid _Buzzfeed_ list or a tweet was typed he would know about it. But, this alert was very different. This was going to change his life forever. 

\------------------------

Krista was sitting at the small dining table in the tour RV eating breakfast, glancing over their travel schedule when Ymir slumped down in the chair across from her, bringing a smile from the petite blonde girl.

“So, do we think he’s found out yet?” Ymir asked quietly as conversations tended not to remain private in their bus due to the small proximity.

“I think once he does we’ll know instantly,” Krista replied her eyes drawn to the closed door at the end of the bus. Eren had been exhausted after their show last night and passed out immediately in the back bedroom. 

“I mean, there have been rumors for the past few weeks. He had to have known it could actually happen.” Ymir was peeling a banana, hoping it’d take an edge off the hangover she had brought upon herself backstage last night.

Krista shrugged. “You know he doesn’t act rationally when it comes to him. Armin has been giving him pep talks for the past few days - he probably knew it was coming.” 

“Well, I just hope he isn’t too much of a wreck to play good tonight. It’s the last stop before we head back to the studio and I’d rather finish off strong than through some man-tears.”

“Ymir,” Krista tried to say sternly through a small laugh. “We need to be supportive right now or we won’t get anything done at the new album with him stomping around the studio. He did break Eren’s heart - we have to respect that.”

Ymir gave her a small frown. “But, it was like _six_ years ago.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been six fucking years but seeing him still felt like a knife into his chest every time. It was hard to escape seeing him though, as he currently had the number one song in the country and was playing at the Grammy’s later on in the month. Eren knew it was pretty fucking irrational to still feel like they had broken up just yesterday this many years later but getting over your ex was hard enough without him being the most successful musician of the past few years and everyone’s celebrity crush.

“ _Levi_ ,” Eren said quietly to himself in the dark room as he scrolled through the tenth article on the same subject. Levi was making industry waves. Levi was leaving the biggest music label in the US, _Titan_ , to join indie label _3DMG_ so he could focus on his “sound.”

Eren had been signed to _3DMG_ for the past two years, and it was his home. Krista’s band, which he played guitar for, was great and they were just starting to grow their fanbase. And now, all that fucking hard work would be overshadowed because fucking Levi Ackerman decided he wanted to fucking focus on his fucking sound at Eren’s fucking small ass label. 

In retrospect, he could see that Armin had been trying to prepare him for this news. He had mentioned Levi had been looking for a new label and he liked what was coming out of _3DMG_. Armin mentioned he saw Levi’s fucking terrible manager, Erwin, having drinks with the president of _3DMG_. As their band manager, Armin, had been trying to tell Eren all along what was going to happen.

Eren clicked off his phone and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, as if the dark room was too bright. 

Surely this was a terrible mistake and Levi wasn’t really going to join his label. It seemed ridiculous. Everyone wanted to be signed onto Titan. They had endless budgets for tours, music videos, and promotions. This was had to be a joke. All of the artists on his label were small indie rock bands and a few solo artists. There wasn’t anyone who was as huge and utterly mainstream as Levi.

He leaned forward and got up on his feet. He ran a hand through his unruly hair before pushing open the accordion door. The light hit his eyes and he squinted, looking briefly at Krista and Ymir. He really didn’t want to talk to him but the bathroom was past them on the other end of the bus.

“Good morning, Eren,” Krista said softly. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. They had been talking about him.

“Yo,” Ymir chimed in with a mouth stuffed with who knows what.

Eren grunted in return and pushed past them to the bathroom. It was small, and not really all that private but he needed a 2 minute shower. 

Living on a bus was shitty especially when you needed some alone time. Eren’s band had 5 members and they all traveled on a large tour bus. Connie and Sasha were probably still asleep in one of the bunks in the other sleeping area. 

They had been on a small tour with three other bands for the past two months, and it was finally ending tonight. Eren had been looking forward to going home and spending some time in the studio and recording some new music. But now his stomach ached at the thought of possibility seeing Levi in his studio. 

The water felt like a blessing when it hit his face. Granted, he had to bend down a little for that to happen in the tiny shower. Honestly, he wanted to stay in here all day and avoid the conversations he’d have to have with his bandmates and the eventual call he’d have to make to Armin. That was who had sent him all the text messages. And one from Mikasa, his sister, that had just said “I hope you’re okay.”

Yeah, he’d have to get back to them. But, for right now he was just going to focus on the water rolling over his body and not the impending shitstorm of emotions when he walked out of the bathroom.

\---------------------------------------------------

_“Eren,” Levi’s voice was serious and quiet, hardly cutting into the thick silence that had blanketed the room after a few hours naked in bed together._

_Eren was almost asleep, but he heard Levi right before he fell over the cusp. “...Yeah?” He was on his back, feeling full and content with Levi by his side._

_“Eren...Thank you.”_

_This got Eren’s attention and he rolled over to face Levi, his eyes open now, able to make out only a few details of his facial expression. “For what?”_

_Levi wasn’t looking at him, instead straight up at the ceiling. It took a long time for him to answer. Making Eren feel like maybe he had fallen asleep or missed it somehow._

_His voice was even quieter when he responded, finally looking over at him. “For making me join the band, and for...loving me.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Levi POV. Some additional drama.

Levi sat perfectly still while the makeup artist finished applying his foundation. He hated the stuff, but it had become routine and kept him from looking like a corpse under the bright stage lights. Or that’s what he told himself to be okay with the countless hours his ass sat in a makeup chair.

“You’re on in 5!” The announcement came before he could fully see the small blonde girl appear in the doorway, her reflection in the mirror. 

He only nodded slightly in a reply, Erwin’s voice fully answering for him.

“He’ll be ready - thank you,” his manager said as he walked over to Levi in the chair, shooing the makeup artist out of the room and placing his hand on his shoulder. “Do you need anything?”

“You could do this interview,” Levi said, an eyebrow raised. He hated interviews, especially live ones on TV. He’d much rather be playing music than having to navigate tricky questions that required hours of prep.

“Not a chance. You knew switching labels would only bring more attention, and more questions.” Erwin’s fingers were moving up his scalp, moving smoothly over the close cropped hairs of his impeccably maintained undercut.

Their eyes were locked in the mirror. Erwin was right, and they had spent endless nights discussing what would come of him deciding to drop his label to go in a different direction. Levi wasn’t ungrateful for all that _Titan_ had done for him, but honestly, he wanted some control back. They had planned every minute of his life for the past six years, and he was tired.

He sat there for a few more moments, enjoying the small touches Erwin was carefully giving him without messing up his hair, an art he had perfected. “I should go. The sooner I get this over with the sooner I get this fucking mic out of my ass.”

Erwin smirked and stepped back as Levi got up out of the chair and adjusted himself in the mirror. He was known for his tastes in suits and tonight he had chosen a tightly, but perfectly fitted dark navy look. No cravat, everyone told him he looked impossibly stuffy when he wore one on late night TV. He didn’t agree, but his stylist didn’t even pack one for him.

“You look great.” Erwin’s eyes were still on Levi, roaming over his body. 

Levi turned to him, this time a smirk on his lips. “I know.” With that, he exited the room, a slight chuckle from Erwin echoing behind him.

He made his way backstage, a production assistant checking his face and his mic. He always felt a small jolt of nerves before going on any stage, even after all these years. It was hard not to think of the first time he ever set foot on a stage, when he was a teenager, in a sticky gross bar with a lax ID policy that let kids under eighteen in.

He shook his head lightly and pulled out his phone. He wanted to turn it off before the interview. He had made the mistake to not silence it once before and had someone call him during an interview. It was embarrassing, even though his fans found it adorable.

His breath hitched when he saw what was on his screen, it had been hours since he had last used his phone and he had forgotten he was listening to some of the other bands on _3DMG_. The song paused on the screen was from _his_ band. 

His finger hovered back and forth over the off button, unable to shut it down just yet, his eyes fixated on the song title _”It Wasn’t that Long Ago.”_ He had known as soon as the first chord was struck that Eren was playing guitar. His talent was undeniable, and his style recognizable still after all these years. He had pressed pause immediately.

Levi had become an expert at avoiding and ignoring all things Eren, including his career. But, he still somehow knew the vague details. Eren had jumped from band to band and was now playing guitar for a popular indie rock band with a unique female singer.

Levi didn’t have any interest in the other band members, but he knew he’d be meeting them soon enough. They were the most popular band from the label, but now that he had trumped them from that position they’d have something to do with each other, even if it was just sharing a studio.

He knew this was a possibility - most likely a reality - when joining _3DMG_ but it wasn’t something he could easily discuss with Erwin. He would laugh if he thought Levi almost didn’t go through with one of the best business decisions he’d ever make because of some guitar player he had dated six years ago.

Levi took a deep breath and turned off the phone, his eyes rising to the production assistant who was telling him it was time to go out. 

Erwin would have been right if they had discussed this angle of the decision at all. It had been six years and, surely, Eren had moved on just as Levi had done. 

Levi stepped out on the stage, a small smile on his lips as he gazed over the wild cheering crowd. This was going to be the best decision of his career.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This HAS to be like the worst business decision EVER,” Eren said mused for the millionth time as he stared down at his beer. It was after their show, and he was sitting at the bar situated between Ymir and Connie. He knew deep down he was being intolerable but he couldn’t help the words from spilling from his mouth.

Ymir and Connie exchanged looks. They had been assigned to babysit drunk Eren, thankfully it was only for the night. Armin would take over when they got home. 

It was Ymir’s turn to console. “Look, it kind of seems like a weird business decision but you know if you were in his situation you’d do the same thing. Imagine having your whole sound controlled by some dicks in suits. It’d be frustrating.” 

Connie gave her a look - shaking his head. Trying to compare them was a bad idea.

“But, he IS a dick in a suit!” Eren yelled, slamming his fist down on the counter, startling both Connie and Ymir. “We wouldn’t do the same thing because I would never destroy the lives of my friends and lie to someone who I ‘supposedly’ loved!” He bowed his head and rested it on his crossed arms on top of the counter.

“Ymir didn’t mean that,” Connie tried to stop the Eren despair train that was about to leave the station. It was rare that he got like this but it was a little intense. “Look, why don’t we get out here and head back to the bus? Krista and Sasha will be done soon and we can just head out.”

Eren nodded and Connie caught Ymir rolling her eyes as she got up off the stool, slapping down some cash to cover their tab. 

“Look, I’m sorry,” Eren said as they walked out the doors into the cool air. He was feeling a little ridiculous. The entire day he had felt like his heart was breaking all over again. How would he ever face Levi? It’d be the first time they’d seen each other since that night. And now they were just supposed to be able to be professional and okay with each other?

“Don’t worry about it, buddy.” Connie swung an arm over Eren’s shoulder. He felt for him - he had heard some of the details of what had happened between Eren and Levi from Sasha, it sounded harsh.

“I’ll beat the shit out of him if you want me to,” Ymir unhelpfully chimed in as she opened the door to the bus.  
Eren just gave her a look as he got into the bus, feeling a little bit better. That was until the alert notification went off on his phone. He was already frowning when he pulled it out of his pocket, swiping to open his notifications. 

_TONIGHT on Late Night Sina: LEVI dishes on switching labels, driving his own sound, and what it’s like to be in love._

Eren had unintentionally stopped the kitchen, staring at the words on the screen in disbelief. Levi? Was in love? His heart squeezed and he barely kept the tears from flooding before he made it to the back bedroom of the bus - ignoring the calls of his bandmates.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_”I wrote it for you.” Levi said as the echoes of the last notes faded away. He sat at the old upright piano in the makeshift studio in Eren’s basement._

_“It’s beautiful,” Eren replied, a little breathless. He wasn’t sure what to do. He felt stuck in place, his hand sweating as it laid on top of the piano, where he had placed it in hopes of looking cool. His eyes were scanning Levi’s - looking for any indication of what he was feeling._

_Levi nodded and stood, his hand resting on top of Eren’s. It was cold and not as sweaty as his. Their eyes were locked, and Eren felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. He was a little overwhelmed with the fact that Levi had written a song for him….and was now looking at him like he could see right down into his core._

_“Eren, I’ve been wanting to do something for a very long time,” Levi said quietly, moving closer to the boy who was panicking quietly. He was so easy to read._

_“What?” Eren replied bluntly, he felt like he might pass out. Levi was coming closer, smelling so good, and Eren couldn’t help from looking at his lips._

_“This,” Levi leaned forward, closing the small distance between them and sealing it with a kiss. It was chaste, because Eren didn’t move at all. Levi would have been offended if he didn’t know the other boy so well._

_Eren stared at him wordlessly when Levi pulled back, their hands still touching._

_“Uhh,” Eren finally managed. He could feel the distinct burn of a blush creeping up._

_“Can I do that again, even though you’re acting like an idiot?” Levi was smiling._

_“Fuck yes,” Eren said quickly before leaning in to claim his second-ever kiss with Levi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! They drive my passion for writing this story! Feel free to say hi over on tumblr, I'm arukitty there as well.


	3. Chapter 3

“How long has he been like that?” Armin stared down couch which currently held a mess of blankets and a very passed out Eren.

“About 36 hours,” Mikasa answered simply as she started picking up the empty food containers and beer bottles from the coffee table and dropping them into the large trash can she was holding with her other hand.

“Well, thank you for calling. We figured we would delay any studio time until after the Grammy’s at least.” Armin smiled at Mikasa who only gave him a very levelled look in reply. 

Mikasa was Eren’s adoptive sister whom he shared an apartment with. Armin liked to think they got along well, but he could tell she was pretty much over anyone who was remotely involved with the music industry at the moment. 

“Sure, probably a good idea,” she said after a moment. “But, I have to go back to work today and I don’t want to leave him unattended when he’s like this. He’s your problem.” 

Mikasa left the living room and headed back into the kitchen. She had picked up the pieces of her brother so many times (always thanks to that rat bastard, Levi) that she really couldn’t take much more. The fact that he was going to have to be in any part of Eren’s life again left her feeling a little bitter and a lot pissed towards _3DMG_.

Armin was going to reply but was cut off when Mikasa exited the room. As the band manager, Armin knew this was neither the first nor the last of his days like this - entirely spent with one of his sullen, glassy-eyed band members trying to get them back to a functioning level. Pep talks, a plate of food, and shaking them out of it were all he could foresee on the agenda now. However, Eren was particularly difficult to get out his funks, especially when it concerned Levi. Armin had been worried about what this new deal would mean, and hoped that Eren would be able to rise above. He was talented, but not irreplaceable, and he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to talk his bosses out of finding new, less broody blood if he didn’t keep performing at the same speed as the rest of the band.

He moved to sit on the coffee table and reached out to gently shake Eren, who grumbled in return. “Eren, it’s Armin. I brought coffee and we’re going to get out of this apartment.” 

Eren heard Armin but he didn’t really want to do anything about it. In fact, he had been awake through their whole exchange. He felt embarrassed of how he had been acting for the past few days. He was twenty-four years old for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t wallow forever, but, god he wanted to wallow.

“Eren?” Armin asked again, a little louder than before. He plucked at the covers, slowing inching them from Eren’s face. 

“UGH. I heard you.” He swatted at Armin and slowly sat up. His stomach felt like it might empty it’s contents right then and there but a few moments with his eyes closed settled that down.

“Great,” the blonde said as he forced a cup of coffee into Eren’s hand. Once he knew it wouldn’t be dropped he stood again, quietly pacing the living room.

Eren really didn’t want to to drink the coffee but he knew it would help. He finally glanced up at Armin, who was doing that annoying thing where he paced around. “Yeah, I know. I need to snap out of this. I’m hurting the band. I could get kicked out.” He dipped his head back against the couch to stare up at the ceiling. 

Armin looked at Eren, disheveled and sad. “Yes, those are things we’d eventually need to talk about. But, first I think you need to drink that coffee, take a shower and we’ll have breakfast.”

This wasn’t the first time Eren had been through Armin’s famous pep and prep for getting his act together. He knew it would be in his best interest to get it over as soon as possible. He got up, taking his coffee with him, and wordlessly headed towards the bathroom.

The past few days had been a little bit of a blur. He remembered watching Levi’s interview way too many times, crying, and then drinking way too much. He cringed at that thought, he really didn’t want that to become a habit - his father had given him front row seats for the shit show that alcohol dependent _habits_ could become.

He stripped off his tank top and sweat pants and turned on the shower. Armin was right - a shower would help. Eren took a swig of coffee and look in the mirror as he waited for the water to turn hot. He definitely looked liked he had been on the road for the past few months, not getting enough sleep, and maybe like he got in a fist fight if the dark circles under his eyes could tell a story. He needed a haircut, a shave, and to get back into the gym.

Eren tried to ignore the pang of pain that shot through him when his mind brought up the fact he definitely needed to get back in shape since he was going to see Levi again soon. Who, according to the latest magazine spread, still had perfect abs and definition beyond anyone’s ability.

He sighed, hanging his head. Levi was always out of his league, always felt untouchable somehow. He should have known back then and he should fucking know now that nothing he could do would ever make a difference. He needed to move on. Like, actually move on.

Which would be easier to do if he could stop thinking about how Levi looked when he talked about “being in love.” He didn’t have the same look in his eye when he spoke about his new relationship as he did when he looked at him all those years ago.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Levi stepped down off the stage, pulling his ear piece out and taking the towel from the stage assistant. He had just finished his dress rehearsal for his performance this weekend and he was pretty pleased with himself. He spotted Erwin talked on the phone nearby and went up to him, waiting for him to hang up.

“What did you think?” The shorter man asked Erwin after he hung up the phone, turning slightly so the production team could strip off his mic. 

Erwin’s face remained expressionless as he looked over Levi, wearing a smart black suit, crisp white shirt and black skinny tie (no cravat, thank god). He looked great on the stage, but he wasn’t sure of the song. “I don’t know why you’re demanding to do this slow song that no one has heard before.”

Levi shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water off the the catering table and took a drink. “I told you, it’s the perfect time to introduce my new sound. While I may be nominated for my previous album, I want to continue moving forward.” He started towards the dressing rooms, Erwin following behind him, it was a short walk.

“Yes, while it is a good time to promote your new project, remember that fans will still want to hear some of what they know from you. Especially at one of the biggest nights of the year.” Erwin reached in front of Levi to open the door to his dressing room, allowing him to enter first.

Levi simply shrugged as he walked into the dressing room, starting to get undressed as his suit would need to be steamed before the performance. “They’ll be excited to hear something new.” 

Erwin closed the door and leaned against it, watching Levi as he neatly organized his suit back into the garment bag. He didn’t know why he was being so stubborn about the song - he usually followed his advice, especially when it came to one-off performances. “It’s not…” He started and decided to drop it, looking away from him.

Levi gently finished hanging up his suit jacket as he turned slowly towards Erwin. “It’s not _what_?” He fixed his gaze on the taller man. Irritation built in the stare; they had been back and forth over this for days. When it came to letting the other win an argument, Erwin and Levi could not just drop it - in any aspect of their relationship.

Erwin held up his hands, a sign of defeat. “Nothing. Forget about it.” One day he would tell Levi that it wasn’t his best song, but today was not the day. He might also mention that the subject matter bothered him, maybe. Erwin probably wasn’t ever going to be comfortable admitting to himself or to Levi that he knew most of Levi's love songs weren't written about him. And they probably never would be. Erwin shifted, uncharacteristically unsettled in his skin.. 

Levi’s gaze softened, realizing this was not the time for a fight. He decided to change the subject. “When do we go into _3DMG_ to meet with everyone?”

Erwin felt relieved at having gotten out of that conversation and into this one. “Monday. We’ll do a small tour, lunch, and start talking about your plans for your next album.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
 _  
“I heard you singing,” Eren practically yelled as he ran after Levi in the almost empty school hallway. “You were good. You should join my band.”_

_Levi simply rolled his eyes and started walking faster. He was almost to the front door, almost to freedom from this crazed sophomore who had been chasing him for the past few minutes._

_He caught up, his messy brown hair plastered to his face from his sweat. “Look, I know you hate people or whatever message you’re trying to send but you should really think about joining my band.” His hands had gestured up and down Levi’s body, obviously referring to Levi’s all-black clothing._

_Levi stopped then, almost causing the other teen to trip and fall on his face. “I’m not going to join your fucking band,” he hissed. This wasn’t the first time TODAY this kid had come harassing him. “I don’t know what you heard but it wasn’t me singing and you should really stop chasing me like some kind of crazed stalker before I punch you.”_

_Eren’s jaw clenched as he stared back at Levi. He wasn’t so easily deterred. “I’m not going to leave you alone until you come to at least one band practice,” he said sternly as he moved in front of the shorter_

_“I guess I’m going to have to punch you then,” Levi said evenly as he dropped his books, his fist reeling back._

_Eren’s surprised gasp sounded out just before the soft thud of Levi’s fist hitting his face.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the comments and love! I am moving across the country next week so it may be a hot second before chapter 4 - but it's on my mind!
> 
> Hit me up on arukitty on Tumblr to chat...I'm always willing to chat! (I wrote chant and I almost left it).


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